Jury Convicts Man In Waukegan Slaying

October 03, 1997|By Dave Newbart, Tribune Staff Writer.

A 28-year-old Waukegan man faces a minimum of 20 years in prison after being convicted of the murder of his former girlfriend last March.

Following 6 1/2 hours of deliberation, a Lake County jury late Wednesday found Fabian Colon guilty of committing first-degree murder during a home invasion at the apartment of the ex-girlfriend, Christine Menchaca.

Colon is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 30 by Circuit Judge Henry Tonigan. Prosecutors will likely seek life in prison without parole for Colon.

Relatives of Menchaca declined to comment after the verdict, but Assistant State's Atty. Daniel Kleinhubert said they were "very happy" with the outcome.

"He stalked her and executed her," Kleinhubert said. "Our office is very happy with the verdict."

Colon's attorney, Robert Will, said there was a series of problems with the proceedings that denied his client a fair trial. He said Colon will likely appeal.

Colon has been in Lake County Jail since being arrested early on March 1, shortly after police found Menchaca with a bullet in her head at her apartment on the 900 block of Glen Flora Avenue in Waukegan.

The verdict came after three days of testimony in Tonigan's courtroom.

Waukegan police testified that Colon admitted shooting Menchaca, his on-and-off girlfriend for the last five years, after he broke into her apartment and waited for her to return from a night out. During the trial, prosecutors played a tape recording of Colon's confession.

While testifying on his own behalf, Colon admitted he confessed, but said he did so only because he was denied medical treatment--he had been shot in the hand--until he cooperated with police.

The murder weapon was believed to be a .38-caliber or .357 Magnum handgun, but it was never found.

Menchaca, the mother of Colon's two children, had lived with Colon until shortly before the fatal shooting. The couple had a history of domestic violence, according to court records.

A battery complaint against Colon was pending in Lake County Circuit Court at the time of Menchaca's slaying.